*THEMATIC CONNECTIONS* Hansel and Gretel was a story told in middle-class families, as a way to show children that it is possible to escape famine and poverty in a time of hardships, and to teach important lessons. The story was comforting to the poor because it let them hope that maybe they would one day find wealth in an unlikely place. During this time, there were high rates of abandonment in families so the story showed the children that if they stuck together, they could find a way to survive, strengthening the relationship within families. Eventually, the family reunites, minus the stepmom because the women are evil and must be punished. However, this is not their familial bonds pushing through the hard times, it is the fact that the children now bring wealth along with them that the father accepts them back into his home. There is also the important lesson that all parents want their child to learn; do not trust strangers. As Hansel and Gretel learn from the sweet old woman who invites them into her home, there is always the chance that they are evil carnivorous witches in disguise. While the witch aspect is no longer a rational fear, the distrust of strangers is still present in society. The story of Hansel and Gretel is still popular today, but it has adapted. The Grimm brothers use Hansel and Gretel to comment on important values and morals in society. In a recent Hollywood retelling of Hansel and Gretel, the movie Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, producers show the change in values from the original. In the movie, violence is practically celebrated, with Hansel and Gretel gradually losing their innocence and becoming brutal killers until there is nothing of the young pure children left. This may seem like it has strayed from the original story, but the Grimm Brothers took away their innocence too, by giving them so much wealth. They will never be satisfied with only that, it was only a matter of time before they murdered others for money. Hollywood merely took the story one step further, showing how they fell into the trap and became murderers. Greed is just as important now as it was so many years ago. There are songs about money all around. People sing about making it, saving it, spending it, and just having it. There are very few people singing about how no one wants money or that they are satisfied with what they have. The cycle of greed is very hard to break once someone falls into it.
Journal 4 (Your tale- then and now)
*THEMATIC CONNECTIONS*Hansel and Gretel was a story told in middle-class families, as a way to show children that it is possible to escape famine and poverty in a time of hardships, and to teach important lessons. The story was comforting to the poor because it let them hope that maybe they would one day find wealth in an unlikely place. During this time, there were high rates of abandonment in families so the story showed the children that if they stuck together, they could find a way to survive, strengthening the relationship within families. Eventually, the family reunites, minus the stepmom because the women are evil and must be punished. However, this is not their familial bonds pushing through the hard times, it is the fact that the children now bring wealth along with them that the father accepts them back into his home. There is also the important lesson that all parents want their child to learn; do not trust strangers. As Hansel and Gretel learn from the sweet old woman who invites them into her home, there is always the chance that they are evil carnivorous witches in disguise. While the witch aspect is no longer a rational fear, the distrust of strangers is still present in society. The story of Hansel and Gretel is still popular today, but it has adapted. The Grimm brothers use Hansel and Gretel to comment on important values and morals in society. In a recent Hollywood retelling of Hansel and Gretel, the movie Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, producers show the change in values from the original. In the movie, violence is practically celebrated, with Hansel and Gretel gradually losing their innocence and becoming brutal killers until there is nothing of the young pure children left. This may seem like it has strayed from the original story, but the Grimm Brothers took away their innocence too, by giving them so much wealth. They will never be satisfied with only that, it was only a matter of time before they murdered others for money. Hollywood merely took the story one step further, showing how they fell into the trap and became murderers. Greed is just as important now as it was so many years ago. There are songs about money all around. People sing about making it, saving it, spending it, and just having it. There are very few people singing about how no one wants money or that they are satisfied with what they have. The cycle of greed is very hard to break once someone falls into it.